The Acorn People

The society consists of the five children under Ron’s care as a camp counselor. Benny B., an African American child, lost the use of his legs to polio but is preoccupied with acting like a racer and zooming everywhere he goes. He is lively and sociable, refusing to be held back by his disability and even using his wheelchair to speed around as he pleases. A problem solver, he is more confident than the rest of the group and is openly fond of and impacted by Ron. At the memoir’s end, Ron says that Benny’s mother gave him Benny’s acorn necklace at Benny’s funeral, saying that he gave one to everyone he met, demonstrating how important kindness and care can be, even if it’s only for a short time in someone’s life.

Spider, who coins the name “Acorn Society,” has no limbs yet stuns everyone by showing that he can swim, moving like a dolphin. The pool forces everyone to learn to use their bodies to navigate things like traversing waves, and Spider is not exempt from this. He loves swimming and delights the other campers when he does so. His swimming is so impressive that they make him the final act of the show they put on, and he beats Ron in a swimming contest. The parents cheer for him, changing their attitudes from the resignation that Ron has thus far noticed in them once they realize how capable children with disabilities can be.

Ron sees Martin as the most “able-bodied” person at camp since he is partially blind yet navigates camp very well, only occasionally tripped up by tree roots he wouldn’t normally have to consider when living in the city. He usually sways in a rhythm, moving constantly, and is likable and outgoing. When they reach the steepest part of their mountain hike, nearly deterred by its incline, Martin scoots up backward on his bottom to the top, showing those with more significant disabilities how they can still accomplish their task, how determined he is, and how crucial he considers supporting his friends and finding ways for them to succeed.

Thomas Stewart has muscular sclerosis and weighs about 35 pounds. He has no control over his muscles, goes limp when picked up, and is withdrawn and quiet, “watch[ing] the world around him but [giving] nothing to it” (12). The description is condescending and lacks insight, but Ron notes that he is likely so withdrawn because constantly being around others who can move reminds him of how incapable he is of movement himself. Playing in the pool with the others requires that he be placed in numerous inner tubes and floated around. Still, Ron learns that he does engage with the world and is livelier when offered consideration, support, and kindness, demonstrating how first impressions can be deceiving.

Aaron Gerawlski, or “Arid,” is known for having a bad smell, as he has no bladder and wears an external urine bag at all times. This limits his ability to make friends, and he is hesitant and soft-spoken as a result. Because of this, though, he delights in playing with the kids at camp, who don’t judge him, and he even socializes enough to have a young girlfriend named Mary. At the camp dance, he is named “King” of Camp Wiggins, an act of affection and friendship so new to him that, despite his joy, he begins to cry, grieving that he never experienced this type of acceptance and celebration before. He shows how crucial it is to make people feel valued and not judge them for things beyond their control.

Together, the children of the Acorn Society exemplify the theme of Redefining the Meaning of “Ability” in Ron’s eyes, demonstrating to him the myriad ways in which people with disabilities can engage with society and accomplish many of the same things as other people. They can speed everywhere, even if they can’t run, and they can swim, dance, and hike. Their actions quickly change his perspective and turn his experience at Camp Wiggins into an enjoyable and impactful time in his life.

Ron notes that Mrs. Nelson, the camp nurse, is likely a former war nurse due to her age and attitude. She wears dramatic makeup (pale cold cream; powder; bright red lipstick; and arched, penciled-in eyebrows), which Ron finds amusing. The female campers, however, are enamored with her, and she shares her lipstick with them so that they can try wearing makeup for themselves. Ron sees this as typical of the girls’ ages, as they are entering adolescence and are more interested in signifiers of adulthood. He doesn’t initially realize that Mrs. Nelson is being encouraging through her actions, a fact that becomes more apparent after the parents visit midway through camp. Mr. Bradshaw instructs that Ron’s group create labels for everyone, and she circles camp in the middle of the night (while inebriated) to get rid of them all. Ron quickly learns that she is critical of the implicit desire to label the children and box them in via the expectations of others.

After these actions, she’s regarded as a “camp hero,” and Ron likens her to civil rights activists. Her actions emphasize The Transformative Power of Community as a theme because she is the most openly fixated on creating opportunities for the campers to bond as a whole, despite her less central role in the camp. This is clearest in how she decides to lift everyone’s spirits when the looming end of camp depresses them all. She suggests that they prepare a combination of a play and a water ballet, a project that she knows will give the campers the chance to work together, become closer friends, demonstrate their creativity, and learn the importance of being a team.